A Tale of Him and Her
by greyashes
Summary: Married at 21, Draco and Hermione travel back to the past, attaining the power to cancel their marriage and alter their future. But is that what they truly desire?
1. Of Tears and Unrequited Love

**A Tale of Him and Her**

**Forewords:**

_This is a tale of him and her._

_Of him, who was never loved and had never lost_

_Of her, who loved too much and lost too much._

_Under unforeseen circumstances, they are brought together,_

_tied by all reasons yet separated solely by love._

My friends, I give you our story. I beg of you to hear my words wisely and guard them safely in your hearts… don't repeat my mistake.

_Love is a gift, _

_Cherish it before it's too late_

_Don't be the one who breaks down regretting_

_Because death is forever_

_And even love is helpless then._

**Chapter One: Of Tears and Unrequited Love**

Her pale brown eyes welled up with tears as she sat there silently, trying hard to not be affected by his words. She had finally understood the meaning of betrayal when her own eyes caught him and her ex-housemate in a passionate kiss. Using both hands, she tried to block out his frantic yells. She felt her heart ache in sorrow.

"Hermione, let me in," he yelled furiously, banging her front door with his fist.

She raised her hand and sunk her teeth into her arm, hoping to mute her sniffles. A sudden dull pain in her chest sprang and she felt herself gasping for air; but she refused to obey his command. She was tired of it. Ever since their marriage, she had been his slave, never daring to defy him.

This was the first time.

"Hermione Malfoy!" he shouted at the top of his voice.

"Go away!" she screamed, but to no avail. Tears were rapidly trailing down her red cheeks.

The scene of Lavender and Draco making out flashed across her mind abruptly, causing her to collapse on the floor.

Hermione felt her body giving in to exhaustion. The day wasn't supposed to go this way. It was meant to be the perfect opportunity to patch up with Draco after he became infuriated with her when she had accidentally spilt tea on his office robes. He had invited her to join him for lunch at Three Broomstick with some of his employees, stirring up hope within her.

To her dismay, she caught him in an alarming situation in the phone booth.

The banging became more insistent.

Her eyelids fluttered shut.

"Appareo apartment Newto," she whispered and allowed magic to take her away, back to her sanctuary.

It didn't take long for Draco Malfoy to realize that his wife was no longer inside the room but he immediately knew where she would be.

'_She has to be there, I know she is,'_ he thought to himself.

They were supposed to patch up that day.

"_I need to make a phone call to Hermione," he told the others when he failed to see her after they had finished their meals._

_Even though Draco Lucius Malfoy would never admit it aloud, he had found himself constantly worrying for his wife, ever since he discovered that he had unknowingly fallen for her. _

_Thinking about love made his lips curve upwards slightly. _

_He loved her the only way he knew how which wasn't much, since he had grown up with a father who constantly abused him especially after the reign of the Dark Lord and a mother who was too afraid of her husband to attempt to show any love on him, choosing to be distant and cold to him. Basically, Draco never felt love. He never knew how to proclaim his love to her, only silently hoping that she knew of his deep affection for her. _

_Their marriage had been arranged unlike the others._

_Draco was always well aware of the fact that if Hermione could have her way, she would never have married him. She was the type who would only marry the person she truly loved from the depths of her heart; a person who loved her back to bits and pieces and a person who would give her the love she truly deserved. _

_Draco didn't need to be a genius to know that he was none of that. _

_In the beginning, he had loathed her__but understood that the marriage had to take place._

_But somehow, his feelings for her switched as the days they spent together grew. _

_He wasn't sure whether she noticed it, but Draco fell in love with her._

_Perhaps it may seem impossible for someone who never experienced love from anyone else to love, but Draco knew it had to be it, the moment those beautiful hazel-shaped eyes of her twinkled with amusement and joy as if… as if she had been glad that she was his wife. _

_Just as he was about to pick up the phone, Draco felt two hands cover his eyes and he tensed abruptly._

"_Guess who I am!" the person said and instantly Draco relaxed and turned the figure towards him before kissing her breathlessly. He hadn't been thinking, only loving the fact that she was able to forgive him so easily and that she was back in his arms once again. He just assumed that the face and the voice was hers. How wrong he was. _

_He should have known by the scent. _

_Hermione always smelled like cinnamon and fresh apples._

_The person smelt like expensive perfume._

_He should have known by the way she felt._

_Hermione's touch gave him goose bumps._

_The person's touch had no effect on him. _

_But he didn't. _

_And that was how the real Hermione found him in the phone booth, shagging Lavender Brown, the slut who used the polyjuice potion to trick him._

He could clearly remember her reaction when he finally caught sight of her.

"Appareo apartment Newto," he said to thin air, hoping that Hermione had not block apparation in her apartment.

Curled up in a corner, by her bed, Hermione didn't bother stifling her sobs.

_The moment she pushed the door to the phone booth, Hermione had felt something wrong. _

_How right she was. _

_For the first time in her entire life, Hermione Malfoy was helpless as she watched on the scene displayed in front of her. _

_She felt fatigue suddenly drain her ability to think or do anything. _

_When those grey orbs of his finally caught sight of her, however, she regained her soul. _

_Hermione would never admit it, but his eyes had a strong hold over her soul. _

_The same way they made her fall in love with him when they showed joy and amusementas if… as if he was glad that she was his wife.__ They made her feel like she belonged entirely to him. Something that in the past she would have despised feeling, but now, cherished. _

_As she felt an overwhelming gush of emotions flood her inside, she did the only thing she thought would be best._

_She walked away._

Hermione was alarmed by the sudden 'pop' in the kitchen.

Hastily, she got up and ran to the only place he would never think of finding her.

**A/N: I'm BACCCKK after a long hiatus from fanfiction. I realize how much I miss here and of course, writing about my favourite couple in the world! Please read and review! I love you guys! Thank you Palm Dor for beta-reading!**


	2. Of Walkin Closets and Lookalikes

**A Tale of Him and Her**

**Chapter Two: Of Walk-in Closets and Lookalikes**

It didn't take long for Draco to find her in the tiny walk-in closet, hidden in her guest bedroom, curled up in a feeble position.

Draco had caught a glimpse of her when she looked up, no doubt stunned when he kneeled down beside her. Her cheeks were pale and tear-stained and her lips trembled. Gazing into her brown eyes which were slightly red, he grimaced when he saw sorrow and pain flash across. Her small hands were shaking and there was a crescent formed by teeth marks on her slightly tanned skin.

_'Had she bitten __herself?'_ he thought, allowing a wave of guilt to take him unexpectedly.

If he could, he would have turned time around and cancelled that marriage arranged by their ancestors back then. If he could, he would take away the spell that bound them together and never allowedfor a divorce. If he could, he would very much vanished from her life altogether and ensured that they never met. Perhaps then, they wouldn't have to suffer so much misery. If he could, he would have guarded his heart against her and madecertain that she wouldn't be able to walk into his life.

But then again, he knew he'd still fall all over for her.

"Go away," she whispered hoarsely, looking away from him.

Draco felt his heart break there and then as his beloved voiced out her rejection of him.

However, he stood still, watching her make vain attempts to muffle her cries.

That was when the sliding door shut abruptly and enveloped the entire place in darkness. Several minutes passed,but there were still no words spoken between them. Not that Draco had nothing to say, in fact he was struggling to find courage to voice the countless thoughts rapidly flashing across his mind.

All of a sudden, the entire walk-in closet began shaking violently, causing him to lose his footing and collapse next to Hermione who let out a cry of frustration as she felt her husband's weight landing on her feet.

As he tried to untangle his legs from his wife's, he felt like apologizing but couldn't due to the current situation they were in. Draco found himself in another one of the helpless situations he often found himself facing after the marriage.

It was like a roller-coaster ride as the closet dipped down and the couple felt themselves being lifted up before it finally came to an abrupt halt, causing Hermione to crash unwillingly into her husband's warm muscular arms. Enveloped protectively by Draco, she couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and security and notice how she had fitted perfectly into him.

They had stayed in the same position for about a few minutes before alarms rang in her head warning her about the close proximity they shared.

Hastily, she got up to her feet and slid open the closet door to find herself in familiar surroundings ut unfortunately not her apartment where they were supposed to be.

Then realization dawned upon her.

They were in the Head Girl's bedroom in Hogwarts!

Hermione's glance swept through the room. Decorated in red and gold, there was no doubt it was a Gryffindor's Head girl. There was a large canopy bed in the centre of the room and four large French windows with crimson curtains behind it. The room was nearly identical to the one Hermione had in her seventh year where she was, as everyone had predicted, the Head girl of year 2005, except that Hermione had a large bookcase filled with Muggle books next to her bed.

She heard footsteps behind her and abruptly spun on her heels, meeting her husband who had his platinum blonde hair disheveled and his white button-up shirt all crumpled up. She was amused by his unusual appearance as Draco constantly drilled in her the idea that Malfoys were always immaculate.

However, the moment was spoilt as soon as she met his guarded gaze, making her livid with anger.

Even though Hermione often pridedherself as one of the most forgiving people in Hogwarts, she felt it was only right to refuse him forgiveness. Thinking about his actions caused a prolonged dull pain to ache inside of her and she turned away.

'_We are back at Hogwarts, but when?' _she thought, strolling leisurely around the room, running her fingers down the familiar walls. Hermione was positive that the last Head girl was none other than herself but this was not her room.

"Hermione**,"**** a baritone voice whispered.**

"What?" she snapped, not surprised at all that she sounded rather bitter and exhausted.

Before he could reply, the door burst open, revealing a flustered student dressed in a long sleeved white collared blouse tucked neatly into her plaited skirt, bearing the Gryffindor colours. All unpleasant thoughts vanished promptly as Hermione caught sight of the girl.

"Excuse me," she said very politely, once noticing the two strangers, "I believe this is the Head Girl's bedroom and I don't think you should be here."

Hermione couldn't believe how uncannily similar they looked.

The Head Girl had identical dark brown hazel-shaped eyes radiating the same intelligence and warmth as well as the same full, red, luscious lips as Hermione. Standing at about five-foot-eight inches tall, they were nearly the same height. However, she had long straight brown hair whereas Hermione's hair was curly and unmanageable.

'_She's the prettier and younger version of me,'_ Hermione thought as she watched her lookalike's eyes widen with amazement as she scrutinized the figure in front of her.

"Wh-who are you?" the girl asked after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

"We are lost," came a monotonous drawl from behind her and instanteously she felt indignant as she watched her annoying husband taking determined strides to the bewildered Head Girl.

"I though so, but how in Merlin's beard did you two end up in my bedroom?" she questioned, throwing Hermione a wary glance.

"I don't know. We are new transferred students from Beauxbatons Academy and we saw the open portrait so we came in here," Draco replied smoothly, staring icily at the girl. Hermione snorted quietly in disgust at the exchange. It wasn't astounding that her husband was capable at lying without stuttering, after all, this was an ex-Slytherin, the _leader _of the Slytherins in fact, they were talking about.

The Head Girl arched an eyebrow at him and a grin tugged Hermione's lips abruptly. _'Thank goodness she wasn't so easily deceived by such an awful tale,'_ she thought.

"Could you take us to Professor's Dumbledore's office please? We need to see him urgently," Hermione said finally.

"No, actually you can leave us for a moment, we need to settle something between us," Draco said, his silvery-blue orbs holding a guarded expression as he glanced briefly at Hermione.

"That's not necessary, Malfoy," she hissed contemptuously, "There's nothing to talk about."

She could feel Draco's penetrating gaze burning into her skin but she didn't expect his next move. In a flash, he pointed his wand at the Head Girl and whispered**, "****Petrificus Totalus****." **

Without a second wasted, Hermione frantically made her way to the Head Girl who had collapsed on the floor.

"We have to talk, Hermione."

Hermione restrained herself from shivering, feeling his warm breath on her bare neck.

The only descendant of the Malfoy family had kneeled beside her, slipping his arms around her waist. Overwhelmed with uncalled for fatigue, she felt her body relent slowly into her husband's arms. She closed her eyes and relished in the comfort of the embrace.

The scene of Draco shagging Lavender Brown in the phone booth flashed across her mind.

Her eyelids fluttered open but her vision was clouded by tears.

He must have felt her stiffen because his arms immediately tightened, though not painfully firmly around her waist. "Hermione," he murmured; his voice revealing an unmistakable tint of desperation, "I'm sorry."

With that, he spun her around to face him and placed his lips lightly against her trembling forehead.

The brunette looked at him, dumbfounded as his thumb slowly wiped away her tears.

"Forgive me."

Hermione swore that she'd never forget the sight of her husband's eyes shimmering with sincerity as he waited for her reaction.

Without a reply, she pressed her lips against his persistently, taking him by shock though he soon responded eagerly. An abrupt surge of an unidentified emotion exploded within Hermione as their lips met and she felt herself regain strength to lift her arms to encircle his neck.

She felt him press against her, leaving no space between them.

She felt his tongue running lightly across her lips, seeking for permission to enter.

She felt his heartbeat race, almost faster than her own.

She felt at peace.

"I hate you," he whispered when they pulled away, "so much."

A/N: Thank you Anarane Anwamane, pepaoceangal, Monkeystarz, xlala0ve. Hope you guys like this new chapter. Anyway I've a new story too, okay maybe OLD story from two years ago when I was 'asuka ang', called The Best Laid Plans. Please read and review. Feedback will be very loved!

Title: The Best Laid Plans  
Author: crimsondell  
Characters: Draco/Hermione  
Rating: PG-13  
Warnings: None  
Summary: She wanted revenge. He wanted her. Draco Malfoy fell in love with his nemesis at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Hermione Granger schemes to make him suffer pain...


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